Weft severing mechanism for looms



Jan. 12, 1937. w. R. HEWTON WEFT SEVERING MECHANISM FOR L6OMS .FilfedJuly 24, 1935 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTOR: mlbiam R. 77211113011 3 w. R.HEWTON WEFT SEVERINGMECHANISM FOR LOOMS 6 Shets-Shet 2 Filed July 24,1935 t INVENTOR: WiZiiam R. mwm

WITNESSES:

BY Cl a -ATTORN s.

Jan. 12, 1937. w. R. HEWTON WEFT SEVERING MECHANISM FOR LooMs Filed July24, 1935 6 Sheets-Sheet 5 INVENTOR: "6555mm 1?. TIER/ion.

' WITNESSES.-

BY I

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Jan. 12, 1937. w. R. HEWTON 2,067,7 61

WEFT SEVERING MECHANISM FOR LOOMS Filed July 24, 1955 6 Sheets-Sheet 4FIC71 ZIZ TYiLZJiam RJ-lBWm TTORNEYS.

Jan. 12, 1937. w. R. HEWTON WEFT SEVERING MECHANISM FOR LOOMS 6Sheets-Sheet 5 Filed July 24, 1935 FIG m WITNESSES INVENTOR: Wr/UmmEmu/Eon, BY

TORNEYS Jam; 12, 1937. w. R. HEWTON WEFT SEVERING MECHANISM FOR LOOMSFiled July 24, 1935. s Sheets-Sheet INVENTOR: Wiiliam Rfikwion,

TTORNEYS.

Patented Jan. 12, 1937 WEFT SEVERING MECHANISM FOR LOOMS William R.Hewton, Philadelphia, Pa, assignor to Collins & Aikman Corporation,Philadelphia, Pa, a corporation of Delaware Application July 24, 1935,Serial No. 32,823

12 Claims. (01. 139-263) This invention relates to weft severingmechanism useful in connection with automatic weft replenishing looms,particularly double fabric looms fitted with automatic bobbin changemechanism.

This invention has to do with the severing of the trailing ends of thewefts extending from the selvages of the cloth being woven and theshuttles of the looms at the times when fresh filled bobbins from themagazines of the weft replenishing mechanism are substituted in theshuttles for bobbins which are empty or very nearly so.

The purpose of my invention is to make it possible to sever the trailingweft ends with precision and positiveness and so preclude entanglementwith each other and with the moving parts of the loom. This desideratumI realize in practice as hereinafter more fully disclosed, throughprovision of a simple and reliable automatic severing mechanism forsingle or double fabric looms embodying devices, one for each shuttle,which, when the shuttle is indicated for replenishment, is thrustlaterally into the shuttle box, clamps the weft at opposite sides of agrated opening in the shuttle, and cuts the portion of the weftoverlying the bars of the grating.

Another object of my invention is to provide for the actuation of theclamping and severing devices above referred to through movement derivedfrom the lay of the loom so that the severing is effected just as thelay completes a final active stroke to beat up the trailing end of theweft of the exhausted bobbin into the fabric and while the shuttle isawaiting replenishment in the shuttle box.

Other objects and attendant advantages of this invention will appearfrom the detailed description which follows of the attached drawings,wherein Fig. I is a fragmentary longitudinal sectional view of a doublefabric automatic weft replenishing loom conveniently embodying the weftsevering mechanism of my invention.

Fig. II is a fragmentary plan section taken as indicated by the arrowsIIII in Fig. I.

Fig. III is a transverse fragmentary section of the loom taken asindicated by the arrows IIIIII in Figs. I and II.

Fig. IV is a fragmentary detail section on a larger scale taken asindicated by the arrows IVIV in Fig. II and showing the elements wherebythe clamping and severing devices are directly actuated.

Fig. V is a fragmentary detail view corresponding to Fig. IV showing theparts in a different position.

Fig. VI is a detail sectional view taken as indicated by the arrowsVI-VI in Fig. V.

Fig. VII is a fragmentary detail sectional view in plan taken asindicated by the arrows VIIVII in Fig. IV, and showing one of the weftclamping and severing devices in its normal position in relation to theshuttle.

Fig. VIII is a view like Fig. VII showing the weft clamping and severingdevices in operative position in relation to the shuttle.

Fig. IX is a vertical detail sectional view taken as indicated by thearrows IX-IX in Fig. VIII.

Fig. X is a perspective view showing how the weft is cut incident tointerchange of bobbins in a shuttle of the loom. 15

Fig. XI is a perspective view of one of the weft clamping and severingdevices.

Fig. XII is a detail sectional View taken as indicated by the arrowsXII--XII in Fig. XI.

Fig. XIII is a perspective view of the knife member of one of theclamping and severing devices; and

Fig. XIV is a perspective View of one of the shuttles of the loom.

The loom which I have chosen to illustrate my invention is an automaticdouble pile fabric bobbin changing loom generally of the constructiondisclosed in a pending application No. 750,626 filed by me jointly withWhitworth F. Bird, whereto reference may be had for details hereinomitted. As shown, the loom has a lay I which is reciprocatedhorizontally through coaction of rollers 2 thereon with rotary cams 3 ona constantly driven shaft 4. At opposite sides, the loom is providedwith stationary shuttle boxes whereof one is shown at 5 in Figs. I-IV,said boxes having top and bottom shuttle compartments 6 and l. Incidentto weaving of double fabric F (Fig. X) in the loom, two shuttles areconcurrently thrown in opposite directions from the respective shuttleboxes 5 when the lay l is in the retracted position shown in Fig. I,through the subdivisions of the double shed S, S formed by the warps W,the shuttle assigned for passage between the upper compartments of saidboxes being shown in full lines at 8 in several of the figures, and theshuttle assigned for passage between the bottom compartments of saidboxes being shown in dot and dash lines in Fig. IV only where it isdesignated by the numeral 9. Mounted over the illustrated shuttle box 5is a storage magazine l0 for fresh filled bobbins which are to be usedto replace the bobbins in the shuttles by automatic mechanism actuatedfrom the lay I after the manner set forth in the pending application 5supra. Insofar as the automatic bobbin changing mechanism of the loom isillustrated, it comprises an actuating shaft II which is horizontallysupported for oscillation in bearings on the frame of the bobbinmagazine I3. Within the magazine I is a vertical bobbin-ejecting plungerI2 which is coupled, by means of a link I3 with an arm I4 on the shaft II, the latter also carrying a pendant arm I5 with lateral projections I6and I? adapted to be engaged respectively by hook levers I8 and I9independently fulcrumed at and 2| on the lay I. Normally, the hooklevers I8 and I3 rest horizontally upon stops 22 and 23 on a fixedupright bracket 24 with their hook ends respectively in the range oflateral stud projections 25 and 26 on the armatures 27 and 28 ofvertically positioned solenoids 29, 30 which are suitably supported infixed relation to the frame of the loom. When the solenoid 29 isenergized and the hook lever I8 thereby lifted into engagement with thestud I 5, the arm I5 is moved counterclockwise in Fig. I incident to abeat stroke of the lay I to effect ejection through the plunger I2, of afilled bobbin B from the magazine I0 and depression of such bobbin intothe lower shuttle 9 while the latter rests temporarily in the bottomcompartment of the shuttle box 5 with incidental ejection of asubstantially empty bobbinfrom said shuttle. When the solenoid 33 isenergized to couple the hook lever I9 with the stud I! of the arm I5,the plunger I2 is similarly actuated during a beat movement of the laythrough a shorter stroke and depresses a filled bobbin B from themagazine In into the upper shuttle 3 while the latter rests temporarilyin the topcompartment 6 of the shuttle box 5, the timing of theexcitation of the solenoids 29, 33 being determined after the manner setforth in the previous application hereinbefore referred to. Themovements of the shaft I I are yieldingly resisted by a torsion spring3| which tends to maintain a finger 32 on said shaft in engagement witha fixed transverse rod 33 on the magazine III. The loom is moreoverprovided with a revolving spool 35 for collecting the loose ends of thewefts T, T, Figs. I and X extending from the edge of the fabric F afterseverance as later on explained, said spool being journaled in a fixedbracket 36 and constantly rotated by a belt 37 in the directionindicated from the drive shaft (not illustrated) of the loom. Projectingfrom the spool 35 is a pair of radial weft engaging hooks 38 which movethrough the slot 39 of a fixed arcuate guard 43 partly surrounding saidspool. A Weighted deflector 3i freely pivoted on the bracket 35 andoperated by a solenoid d2, normally keeps the wefts out of the range ofthe hooks 38 of the spool 35. When, for example, the upper shuttle 8 isto be replenished, the deflector 4! is swung downward to the positionshown in Fig. X to permit the trailing end of the weft T between saidshuttle and the selvage of the fabric F, to fall back against the guard43 into the range of the hooks 38 on the spool 35, and to be caught byone or the other of said hooks, torn from the fabric, and collected uponsaid spool. To insure engagement of the wefts T with the guard 40 at thetime of the severance, the upper end of a double ended bristle brush 43on the lay I presses said weft forward as shown in Fig. X as said laycompletes its beat strokes.

The weft severing mechanism with which the present invention is moreespecially concerned, includes a lever 45 pendant from one end of thecross rod 33 of the bobbin magazine ID, see Figs. IV and V moreparticularly. As shown, the lever 45 is free on the cross rod 33 andsubject to the action of a torsion spring 46 (Fig. VI) having one of itsends secured to a fixed collar 41 on the rod, and its other end securedto said lever. As a consequence of this arrangement, the lever 45 ismaintained in contact with a roller 48 at the end of a wiper arm 39 onthe shaft II. The portion 45a of the lever 45 with which the rollercontacts is of arcuate configuration, the curvature being concentricwith the axis of the shaft I I when said arm is in the normal retractedposition indicated in dot-and-dash lines in Fig. IV. An abutment memberin the form of a gravity influenced pin 50 is axially slidable in avertical aperture 5| in the top of the lever 45 within the limitsimposed, on the one hand, by a head 52 on said pin, and on the otherhand, by a stop projection 53 on the fulcrum boss of the lever. Thefunction of the pin 50 will be later on explained. Pivotally connectedto the lever 45, at 55 and 56 respectively are horizontal members in theform of slides 51 and 58 having their front ends passing through guideapertures in the shuttle checks 59 and 60 of the shuttle box 5. Each ofthe slides 51 and 58 terminates in an open head BI which carries threetransversely-aligned plunger; a central plunger 62 with a knife end 52a,and two side plungers 63 With buffers 64 of rubber or the like at theirouter ends. Individual springs 65 urge the plungers 62 and 63 forward sothat stop collars 36 on them normally bear against the cross bars 6'! ofthe heads GI on the slides 51 and 58. As shown, the collar 55 associatedwith each knife plunger 52-is square with opposite flats bearing againstthe sides of the central openings in the corresponding head 3I toprevent rotation of said plunger.

The shuttles 8 and 9 are similar in construction, and, as exemplified inFig. XIV, each has a central slot 68 vertically through it toaccommodate a bobbin B. The shuttle 8, moreover, has an opening or eye59 near one end thereof and a longitudinal recess III in one side forthe weft T. According to my present invention, each shuttle 8 and 9 isfurther provided in its longitudinally recessed side adjacent the eye 69with a grated opening II, the grating being formed in this instance byparallel vertical rods or wires I2 extending crosswise of said opening.

The operation of the weft-severing mechanism is as follows:

Let it be assumed in Figs. II and III that the shuttle 8 has just cometo rest in the box 5 in readiness for weft replenishment. Immediatelythe solenoid 36 is energized and the hook lever I9 engaged with a pin Ii on the arm I 5 while the lay is retracted as previously explained.Also at the same time, the solenoid 42 is energized to move the weftguard M to the position shown in Fig. X. Upon the next forward or beatmovement of the lay I, the shaft II is turned counter-clockwise withattendant movement of the wiper arm 49 downward from the position 49a tothe position 391) in Fig. IV. As the roller 43 on the arm 49,

engages. the protruding lower end of the pin 50 as shown in Fig. IV, thelever $5 is given a quick movement from the normal dot and dash lineposition to the full line position. By this sudden movement of the lever4-5, the slides 57 and 58 are thrust laterally into the shuttle box 5,the thrust of the slide 58 being an idle one since the shuttle 3 at thistime is absent from said shuttle box. As the slide 57 is thrust inwardof the shuttle box 5 in the manner just explained, the buffers 54 on theplungers 33 are the first to encounter the shuttle 8 and clamp the weft(lying at this time in the longitudinal recess 10 of the shuttle) .atopposite sides of the grated opening H in said shuttle, and hold saidweft taut across the grating. As the thrust of the slide 5'! continues,the knife 62a at the end of the plunger 62 penetrates the grating of theshuttle 8 and cuts the weft in the interval between two of the gratebars as clearly shown in Figs. IV, VIII, IX and X. Obviously the clampplungers 63 effectively hold the weft against yielding so that thesevering is effected with precision and positiveness. In practice, thegrated openings H in the shuttles are made sufliciently long to insureregistry with the clamping and severing devices notwithstanding slightvariations in the positioning of said shuttles in the shuttle box. Asthe lay I completes its beat stroke, the main portion of the old weft Tis held by crossing of the warps behind it and as a consequence of beingpressed by the reed on the lay against the fell of the cloth, while thesevered end of said weft is caught by one of the hooks 38 of the spool35 and torn away at or outward of the selvage of the fabric F in themanner already understood, the roller on the wiper arm 39 having by thistime cleared the pin 50 and the lever 45 pulled back by the spring 56 towithdraw the clamp plungers 63 from said weft end. The severing of theweft end T takes place of course just before the exhausted bobbin B isdisplaced from the shuttle 8 by a fresh bobbin B which in the meantimeis ejected from the bobbin magazine I 0 and carried down into theshuttle box 5 by the plunger l2. As the wiper arm 49 moves upwardconcurrently with retraction of the lay I, the roller 48 lifts theabutment pin 50 as shown in Fig. V so that no movement is imparted tothe lever 45 at this time. The clamping and severing devicesthus remainwithdrawn so as not to interfere with the movement of the shuttles 8 and9.

Severance of the weft of the shuttle 9 takes place in exactly the sameway during a weft replenishing cycle when said shuttle is indicated forreplenishment and at a time when the shuttle 8 is absent from theshuttle box 5.

Having thus described my invention, I claim:

1. The combination in a loom having a shuttle, a shuttle box, andautomatic weft-replenishing mechanism; of weft severing mechanismincluding a grate across an opening at one side of the shuttle, meansfor clamping the trailing end of the weft against the grate on theshuttle when the latter is indicated for replenishment and resting inthe shuttle box, and for penetrating the grate to sever the weft whileso clamped.

2. The combination in a stationary loom having a shuttle, a shuttle boxand automatic weft replenishing mechanism; of weft severing mechanismincluding a member adapted to laterally enter the shuttle box when theshuttle is indicated for replenishment and resting in said box, a pairof yielding plungers confined to axial movement on the member forclamping the trailing end of. the weft against the side of the shuttle,a yielding knife plunger on the member between the clamp plungers forsevering the weft while so clamped, and means for moving the member intothe shuttle box as aforesaid.

3. The combination in a stationary loom having a shuttle, a shuttle box,and automatic Weft replenishing mechanism; of weft severing mechanismincluding a grate across an opening in one side of the shuttle, a memberadapted to laterally enter the shuttle box when the shuttle is indicatedfor replenishment and resting in said box,

means on said member for clamping the trailing end of the weft atopposite sides of the grated opening in the shuttle, a knife on saidmember adapted to penetrate the grating on the shuttle and sever theweft while so clamped, and means for moving the member into the shuttlebox as aforesaid.

4. The combination in a loom having a lay, a shuttle, a shuttle box, andautomatic weft replenishing mechanism; of weft severing mechanismincluding a grate across an opening in one side of the shuttle, a memberderiving movement from the lay for clamping the trailing end of the weftagainst the grate on the shuttle when the latter is indicated forreplenishment and resting in the shuttle box, and a member forconcurrently penetrating the grate to sever the weft while so clamped.

5. The combination in a loom having a lay, a shuttle, a shuttle box, andautomatic weft replenishing mechanism with a bobbin magazine and a shaftactuated from the lay to operate means for ejecting a bobbin from saidmagazine when the shuttle is indicated for replenishment and resting inthe shuttle box; of weft severing mechanism including a grate across anopening in one side of the shuttle, a member operated from the shaftaforesaid for clamping the trailing end of the weft against the grate onthe shuttle, and a concurrently operated member for penetrating thegrate to sever the weft while so clamped.

6. The combination in a loom having a shuttle, a shuttle box, andautomatic weft replenishing mechanism; of weft severing mechanismincluding a lever, a member connected to the swinging end of the leverand adapted to laterally enter the shuttle box when the shuttle isindicated for replenishment and resting in said box, clamp the trailingend of the weft against a surface of the shuttle, and sever the weftwhile so clamped, at rock shaft, means for giving the rock shaft oneoscillation incident to each weft replenishment, an actuating arm onsaid shaft, and means determining actuation of the lever aforesaid bythe arm during the swing of said arm in one direction only.

7. The combination in a loom having a shuttle, a shuttle box, andautomatic weft replenishing mechanism; of weft severing mechanismincluding a lever, a member connected to the swinging end of the leverand adapted to laterally enter the shuttle box when the shuttle isindicated for replenishment and resting in said box, clamp the trailingend of the weft against the side of the shuttle, and sever the weftwhile so clamped, a rock shaft, means for giving the rock shaft oneoscillation for each weft replenishment, an arm on said shaft wiping anarcuate portion of the lever concentric with the shaft, and agravityinfiuenced pin with one end projecting radially inward of saidarcuate portion of the lever, said pin yielding to displacement when thearm moves in one direction but resisting displacement when said armmoves in the opposite direction with resultant impartation of movementto the lever.

8. The combination in a loom having a lay, a shuttle, a shuttle box, andautomatic weft replenishing mechanism with a bobbin magazine and a rockshaft actuated from the lay to operate means for ejecting a bobbin fromsaid magazine when the shuttle is indicated for replenishment andresting in the shuttle box; of weft severing mechanism including alever, means on the swinging end of the lever adapted to laterally enanarmon the actuating shaft of the bobbin vmagazine adapted to wipe saidlever and thereby effect operation of the clamping and severing means asaforesaid.

9. The combination in a double fabric loom having two shuttles adaptedto be concurrently picked from opposite sides of the loom, a shuttle boxwith separate compartments for the two shuttles and automatic weftreplenishing mechanism; of weft severing mechanism including gratesacross openings in the sides of the respective shuttles, means operativewhen one or the other shuttle is indicated for replenishment and restingin said box, for clamping the trailing end of the weft against the grateon such shuttle, and for penetrating the grate to sever the weft whileso clamped.

10. The combination in a double fabric loom having a lay, two shuttlesadapted to be concurrently thrown from opposite sides of the loom, ashuttle box with separate compartments for the two shuttles, andautomatic weft replenishing mechanism; of weft severing mechanismincluding grates across openings in the sides of the respective shuttlesand means deriving movement from the lay and operative when one or theother shuttle is indicated for replenishment and; resting in said box,for clamping the trailing end of the weft against the grate on suchshuttle, and for penetrating the grate to sever the weft while soclamped.

11. The combination in a double fabric loom having a lay, two shuttlesadapted to be concurrently picked from opposite sides of the loom, ashuttle box with separate compartments for the two shuttles, andautomatic Weft replenishing mechanism with a shaft to actuate means forejecting a bobbin from the magazine when one or the other of theshuttles is indicated for replenishment and resting in said box; of weftsevering mechanism including grates across openings in the sides of therespective shuttles, means operated from the shaft aforesaid forclamping the trailing end of the weft of the indicated shuttle againstthe grate on such shuttle, and for penetrating the grate to sever theweft while so clamped.

12. The combination in a double fabric loom having a lay, two shuttlesadapted to be concurrently picked from opposite sides of the loom, astationary shuttle box with separate compartments for the two shuttles,and automatic weft replenishing mechanism with a shaft to actuate meansfor ejecting a bobbin from the magazine when one or the other of theshuttles is indicated for replenishment and resting in said box; of weftsevering mechanism including grates across openings in the sides of therespective shuttles, a lever operated from the shaft aforesaid, a pairof members on said lever adapted to laterally enter the respectivecompartments of the shuttle box, and means on each of said members forclamping the trailing end of the weft of the corresponding shuttleagainst the grate on the shuttle when such shuttle is indicated asaforesaid,

and for penetrating the grate to sever the yarn while so clamped.

WILLIAM R. HEWTON.

